The home matters in mobilizing the next generation of Christian Leaders who seek ministry training. Our recent featured poll asked the question,

“What were the circumstances of your coming into a walk of faith?”

The results showed that the practice of home discipleship remains as a central place where leaders are raised up for ministry.

Here are the poll results: Thirty six visitors to our website responded in our online poll to the question, “What were the circumstances of your coming into a walk of faith?”

Home discipleship is very important in the development of Christian leaders. At Christian Leaders Institute we talk about home discipleship in the “Introduction to Ministry Training Class.” In this course you will become introduced to the Seven Connections.  Rev. Steve Elzinga and I talk about these connections and how these connections create the culture for your ministry training. This operating system will encourage your walk with God and encourage you as a reproducible Christian leader.

Here are the seven connections:  Connections one, two and three are the home discipleship connections.  Connection four, five and six support your home walk. And Connection seven is about helping others into a walk with Christ.

Connection One: You and God

The discipleship practice of spending time alone with God gives each of us an opportunity to talk (prayer) and listen (Bible reading) to God repeatedly. Talking and listening repeatedly leads to a deeper relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. Encourage your children to start a lifelong habit of meeting with God daily.

Connection Two: You and Your Spouse

Connecting with your husband or wife on a spiritual level builds a strong relationship for the two of you. Relationships are built with constant communication. God creates a special oneness and "connectedness" in marriage when a husband and wife meet with Him together.

Connection Three: Your Family

One of our home discipleship practices includes having a family worship time every day for at least 15 minutes. This includes reading the Bible together, practicing a memory verse together and singing. Establishing these habits together goes a long way toward passing on your faith and values to your children and assuring they will have lifelong habits of building a relationship with God.

Connection Four: Your Family with Others

Connections outside your family create a sense of community and fellowship. God created us to need each other for encouragement and accountability. Practicing the habit of hospitality to help us reach out and connect with other individuals and families.

Connection Five: You and Your Church

Worshipping together builds our relationships with God and each other. The church service is the celebration of the daily listening and talking with God and with one another that has occurred at home, at school, or at work during the week. It is a time to celebrate how God has been with you and those you know. Church gatherings provide support and encouragement to like-minded people who are trying to grow in their relationship with God and the people in their lives.

Connection Six: You and the Kingdom

As a Christian, you are part of a worldwide family of faith that honors the God of the Bible as King. Families and individuals need habits in their lives that connect them to Christians all over the world – past and present. God's people connect to the Christian past through understanding church history and singing hymns. God's people connect today through the habits of prayer and giving for each other's needs.

Connection Seven: You and the World

As we are experiencing closer connections to God in our lives, we will naturally want to share with others who are struggling in their connections to God and others. As God's ambassadors, we invite others to seek a relationship to Christ. Evangelism is about helping unchurched or non-believers to begin their quest of faith by reading the Bible and praying as their first seeking moments. Our outreach includes seeing and meeting the spiritual and physical needs of the unbelieving world. God has called Christians to build bridges to the world.